1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to visual display units whose information can be electronically altered. In particular, the invention is related to those devices which represent quantities which can conveniently be displayed in bar graph form. E.g., this invention may be employed to effectively display fluid levels, speed, temperature and other physical quantities which must be quickly and clearly discernable, but where great precision is not required.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are well known which can easily be adapted to provide the same kind of display of which this invention is capable, by using a plurality of input lines, each to activate a particular segment of the device. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,988,647; 3,671,938; 3,496,410 (MacIntyre); and 3,327,163 (Blank). These latter two patents are specifically intended to provide an electronic bar graph display, previously pointed out to be the most useful embodiment contemplated by the inventors. Readout, Vol. 3, No. 1, Feb./Mar. 1974, pub. Burroughs Corp., discloses another such device.